Always: The 18th Hunger Games
by curiousclove
Summary: When Addy Walker is reaped for the 18th Hunger Games, she is extremely afraid. But when her boyfriend Ryder Murphy volunteers to help her survive, the fact that only one of them can come out of the games alive scares her more than anything.
1. Prologue

Chapter 1: How It's Always Been

It was never supposed to be this way.

I was always supposed to live a wonderful life, and being from District Ten, that was pretty rare. I had everything you could want in a world where some people had nothing. Those were the people I had always pitied, wishing I could do something to make their lives as easy as mine. Every day I sat home and looked through the window out to my family's farm, hundreds of acres filled with livestock, watching the workers carry out countless strenuous tasks no matter what was going on around them. It could be a blazing hot day, a thunderstorm, or anything in between, and they still did everything that had to be done. And believe me, the list of things was never ending.

It wouldn't be as bad if my parents were kinder to their employees. They weren't mean people, and they always loved me, it was just that they were always focused on the money. Running one of the biggest farms in the district wasn't easy, which leads up to a lot of stress that they seemed to take out on their workers. I always dismissed the thought, but one day they were going to die. Being an only child, this farm would fall on me to take care of one day. When I was eight years old, I promised to myself that I would treat these workers with the respect they deserved. People are people, no matter their financial standings. I never really talked to my parents about this issue, but I always tried to help the less fortunate in any way I could.

Coming from a family with more than most has allowed me to do things that most kids in the district probably don't get to, and I have my parents to thank for that. For example, I have really good grades in school because of all the time on my hands. While most kids are working, I can get in a good amount of studying. I'm smarter than most of my classmates, which comes with some perks. It's kind of nice to be the one that people come to when they can't solve a math problem, or when they don't know what a word means. It's nice to have people think highly of you, which results in a lot of friends. My district doesn't value being book smart very much compared to having common sense, but who knows where my smarts could lead me later in life?

I've also learned a lot in the medical field specifically. Most of the best doctors are in the Capitol, and no one specializes in animals there, because unless you live in ten, it's kind of pointless. I really enjoy taking care of the animals at the farm, it makes me feel proud when an animal is in pain and I can stop their suffering. Many things about animals carry over to people too. I've never really had to help a hurt person though, as there is a hospital right near the farm. The things that I have learned help my parents a lot when there is a problem with one of the animals, they always tell me how proud they are of all of my "prestigious accomplishments".

But they weren't so proud when I told I was dating Ryder Murphy. I remember their faces when they found out that I was dating my father's very own farmhand. He gets paid pretty much nothing, and his family is extremely poor. I didn't care about that, I just like him for who he is. At 14 years old, I'm sure I'm in love. Adults would laugh at the thought, but we've already had conversations about where our wedding is going to be (10 years from now) and the most important life lessons we want to teach our children. At least that's how it's supposed to be. Though some things don't happen like they're supposed to,but what we have is something that could never be taken away from me.

It took a while, but Ryder grew on my parents. When they hired him, all they saw was a poor eleven-year old who was begging for a job. Normally, he feeds and tends to the cows. When my father saw how hard of a worker he was, he started to take a liking to him, seeing as he would work extra hours for barely any money. My father told me once that he saw himself in Ryder. As a boy, he was poor, but he worked his way up to where he is today. I admire my father, because if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have the life that I do.

My mother was significantly harder to win over. She had the opposite upbringing of my father, growing up wealthy, just by some stroke of luck. She'd heard from around town that Ryder was a mean angry brute, but so have I, and it didn't stop me from loving him. He has a bad reputation, and it's probably because he gets into fights at school for being poor. District Ten might not be the richest of places, but most of the families aren't starving like Ryder. She's always taught me to never lie, so when I told her that Ryder was different around me than when he is with others, she realized the kind of boy he is. I wouldn't say that my parents like him that much, but my father respects him and my mother accepts him.

Ryder has told me before that he would do anything for me, and I don't doubt that at all. I'm pretty sure he cares about me more than he cares about himself, and the same thing goes for me. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I didn't have him beside me, and I know how lucky I am to be able to call him mine. Although he has anger issues, he tries his best to keep it in check around me. It's almost like he's another person when I'm there. I love him, and I love every imperfection about him, even when he is angry. My life was a fairy tale, and I couldn't ask for anything more.

 _What could possibly go wrong?_

 **Author's Note: Hello all! This is the story of two characters that I submitted into the SYOT** ** _Reaped: The 18th Hunger Games_** **by TheBlaBla245. This chapter is basically a summary of Addy Walker's life before it is all about to change.**

 **Yours Truly,**

 **CuriousClove :)**


	2. Life Before the Games

Chapter 2: How He Became Mine

He'd be with me forever, and I was sure of it.

The day that I met Ryder was probably the most important day of my life. It was two summers ago, and we were only twelve. We had a farmhand who had broken his leg a week before it, and that day was Ryder's first day on the job. My dad gave him the simple task of milking eight cows after a few minutes of simple instruction. He had told Ryder to check in with him when he was done with the job. Three hours later, he had gotten no word and sent me out to check on him. I walked out to a blazing hot day. It gets warm in Ten, but this was worse than usual. All of a sudden, I see an unconscious figure collapsed on the floor, most likely from heat exhaustion. I remember the way his grey shirt was soaked under his arms and down his neck, and I pitied him. I sprinted back inside to get some ice for him, and after a few seconds of some ice on him, he perked up and was fine. My dad came out to see the commotion, and Ryder started apologizing to him and telling him that he finished the job and just got a bit overheated. He thanked me for my help but I didn't see him for the rest of the summer.

The next time I saw him was the first day of the school year. He was thirteen now, but my birthday wasn't until the winter. I was surprised to find him in one of my accelerated classes, and it was right after our lunch period, and it was clear he had just gotten into some fight. I wasn't outside to see it, but he was limping and he looked a little dizzy. We then were told by our teacher that we needed to sit next to a partner to work with for the year, and a bunch of kids were arguing over who would sit next to me, some of which I barely even knew. When I saw that Ryder had no one who would sit next to him, I went over and introduced myself. It was the first time anyone had ever seen him smile.

Throughout the year, I discovered that Ryder was a good partner to have. He carried his weight on partner projects despite him having to work all day. Sometimes he would have dark circles under his eyes, but I was happy that he tried to make an effort for me, even when I offered to do things to make his life easier. I realized very quickly that he wasn't the angry person that everyone seemed to think he was. He was never that way when I was around. Sometimes I wished that I could tell everyone that he wasn't as bad as everyone perceived him to be, but I realized it wasn't really worth the effort. It wasn't my problem that they were missing out on seeing that Ryder was a nice person.

It wasn't until last May that he asked me out. It took a lot of courage to do that, and even though I had liked him, I wasn't brave enough to take the risk of rejection. I remember how quiet he was being. The conversations between us always flowed so naturally, and he kept giving me one word answers. I had thought he was mad at me, even though I didn't do anything wrong. By the time I realized what was going on, and that he was actually going to ask me out, I couldn't stop smiling. It was one of those moments that I knew would stay with me for the rest of my life. I think his working time on the farm got better too, he seemed to get so much more done. Ever since the heat exhaustion incident the previous summer, my father always wanted Ryder to check in with him each time he finished a task, and whenever he came into our house, his face would light up each time he saw me.

As the days got warmer, our feelings got stronger. I begged my parents to let me work on the farm with Ryder. At first, they didn't like the idea of me slaving away in the hot sun all the time as if I was a poor girl who needed the money, but eventually they figured out that an extra set of hands to help out Ryder could be helpful. We were getting closer and closer, and then our next milestone happened. One starry night when he was staying late, he kissed me goodbye. It was my first kiss and I was pretty sure that it was his too. After that, he kissed me goodbye each time he left, and it was bliss. I couldn't ask for a better boyfriend.

Sometimes Ryder gets angry, but it had never been at me. Our first fight was a little bit scary, and I was sure it would be the end of our relationship. It was the hottest day I had ever experienced, with temperatures reaching over one hundred degrees. I reminded my parents about Ryder's collapse last summer, and how the heat has a terrible effect on him. They agreed with me that Ryder and I should have the day off, because they didn't want either of us to get heat exhaustion, or something even worse. When I told Ryder that we were staying inside at my house (mine had air-conditioning and his did not) he started to tell me that he needed to work and bring home money for his family, and the telling quickly escalated to yelling. As he ran outside to the field, I started to cry, fearing that something bad could happen to him. It didn't take me long to catch up to him and he was already starting to perspire. I told him that I would give him a day's pay out of my own money if he agreed to come inside, and once we came in, he starting apologizing to me for so many reasons, and he promised he would never act like that, at least around me, again.

Ryder makes my life complete and it's nice to have someone who just gets you. He is always able to know how I feel just by one look. The same thing goes for me with him. Although he's only been dating me for a little bit over a year, it feels like we've been together for eternity. Time stops, and I'm lost in his eyes. He's my soulmate, and it will always be that way. Despite knowing so well, I discover new things about him every day. All of his imperfections are what makes him perfect, if that makes sense. The way he makes me feel is impossible to describe, and every moment is one of love and happiness. I can't picture what my life would be without him.

I see our whole lives together. He'd help me run the farm that we'd pass down to our children one day. We are going to live long, prosperous, and beautiful lives together. Ryder truly is a gift to me and he makes everything better. No matter what I have to face in the future, I know that I will be okay as long as he is by my side. I have fallen in love with the most wonderful boy in all of Panem, which makes me the luckiest girl in all of Panem. Even when one of our lives came to an end, it was comforting to know that the other would stay with them until death. Love is the strongest force and it has pulled us towards each other for all eternity.

 _Is this fairy tale ending really written for me?_

 **Author's Note: Hi again! I'm having so much fun writing this, it brings me back to when I created these two for the first time. Ah, young love...**

 **Yours Truly,**

 **CuriousClove :)**


	3. The Reaping

Chapter 3: When Everything Changed

I've replayed this day a million times in my head, wishing that there was some other outcome.

When I woke up today, everything was fine. I was living the perfect life with my wonderful boyfriend. Dad has been letting me spend more time working on the farm with Ryder, he said that Ryder is more productive when I'm around. Plus, I'm sure his hard labor is a lot more bearable with an extra set of hands. My parents have been extra happy, because the farm has been doing great. I'm happy because the people around me are, so everything is perfect. Every day has been perfect except today - Reaping Day. It's only my third Reaping, and my name is in the bowl three times because I don't take out tesserae. But that doesn't take the fear away. Ryder's name is in their twelve times today. He took out three tesserae to help his family the year of his first Reaping, and it multiplied each year. One of us could easily be chosen for the Hunger Games - where 1 person comes out alive, and 23 don't.

The employees were off today, as it was apparently a "holiday", but no day at the farm can really be missed. Even my parents would have to do physical work today, and that was rare.

"You better make sure the left pasture is fed before the Reaping," Dad tells me. He loves me and everything, but when he's at work, he's all business.

"I fed them last night," I respond, looking at the floor. I didn't want to think about the Reaping.

"They need extra feedings. The Capitol will be coming in a week to collect the quota. Why not take the help?" I smile at this, knowing exactly who he means.

Ryder looks perfect despite his lack of nice clothing. He's wearing a cowboy hat and a light blue t-shirt, which makes his eyes look bluer than usual. I'm pretty sure that I gave a sigh of relief when I saw him, as my anxiety about the thought of being Reaped seems to fade when he's with me. Though I'm smiling, the very thought of it gave me goosebumps.

"Hey farm hand," I giggle as I purposefully bump my bony shoulder into his stocky body.

"Hey boss," He responds as he hugs me. My goosebumps go away as the heat from his body calms my own. As I feel him kiss my temple, I smile at him, as if to say _you are the love of my life._

"We need to feed the left pasture again, Dad wants them eating more," I inform him, willing to do any task with him by my side.

"Well let's get to it," says Ryder. He wraps his overly warm arm around me as we head to the pasture. _He must be really hot right now,_ I think to myself. I'm used to him being hot and sweaty on the fields, but heat has never really affected me. I actually like seeing him that way, because it shows me that he's a real boy, not a perfect Prince from the story books. Even if he is my prince charming.

I can only hope that we will be safe for another year. There's almost twenty-thousand citizens in District Ten, so I highly doubt that either of us will be the unlucky two. The games aren't considered certain death in our district either. In the past seventeen years, we've had two victors. I memorized the amount per district, and we're one of the lucky ones. District One has three, District Two has five, District Four has two, District Seven has two, and Districts Three, Eight, and Eleven each have one. Our tributes tend to be pretty good with knives, as many of them had been butchers in the past. It's a little bit comforting to know that our tributes will have some chance of coming home alive.

After the pasture was fed, Ryder had to run home to his family. He lives in the poorer part of town which is a mile or so away. I knew he'd be exhausted by the time he got to his family as I'm not sure he could run a full mile without stopping to walk. I went back into the house to put on my Reaping Outfit. It was a dress in my favorite color, lavender. I left my hair down as I walked to the Town Square with my parents. Once we got there, I caught a quick glance of Ryder but he was talking to his older sister, whose name I think is Brema. I felt bad when I saw him, he had taken of the cowboy hat he had earlier and his hair was sweatier than before. To top it off, he had obvious sweat stains down his neck and under his arms. He definitely shouldn't have worn light colors to this. I wish I could've walked over there, but the Reaping was about to begin.

As our Escort from the Capitol, Magna Tolly, rambles on about how exciting these games are going to be, I make an attempt to zone out everything around me. I didn't want to think about how twenty four innocent lives would be put at risk just for the Capitol's entertainment. It was selfish, but I hoped that the two lives from our district were two people who I had never met before. That would make it easier when at least one of them would have to die. I hope one of our tributes this year can bring home a win, it would be nice to only have to deal with one death from Ten. I hoped they would be older too, it always hurts a little bit more when it's a small helpless child.

That's the moment I hear my name get called.

I'm small, I'm helpless, and I am going to die. Some of the other tributes would be up to four years older than me, and some of them would be trained killers. As I take a step forward, I'm not sure I will be able to make it to the stage. I hear my father screaming and I see peacekeepers holding him back from getting to me. While all of the peacekeepers are now focused on my father, Ryder runs to me. His warmth takes me away from the cold hard reality. The world around me fades away when I realize this is my last day with him by my side. As the peacekeepers take me away from Ryder and guide me to the stage, I know my fate in the games is inevitable, and there was nothing I could do to change it.

As Magna calls out what would be my future district partners name, I hear two words that were about to change the course of my life.

"I volunteer!" Screams Ryder, and he makes everything better, yet everything worse. He is trying to save me, and there aren't enough words to describe how grateful I am. But does he realize that this means that at least one of us is going to die? I can't let that be me, but I know he's thinking the same thing. It would have been bad if I died in the games, but if he were to die, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. And if we both died, that would be even worse. Ryder deserves every luxury this world has to offer, not death. I can't let him die.

 _How would one of us live our lives without the other?_

 **Author's Note: And here is the Reaping. All the dialogue from this story is from their actual games, just a heads up. This chapter was fun to write for me because the actual Reaping was in Ryder's point of view, not Addy's, so we got to see it from her eyes.**

 **Yours Truly,**

 **CuriousClove :)**


	4. Goodbyes

Chapter 4: What I Left Behind

I never wanted to say goodbye.

The moment I was Reaped for the games, I knew my fate was sealed. No one under the age of fifteen has ever come out of the games alive, and I don't think I'll be the first. I don't even want to be the first. If Ryder had to die for me to live, I would never forgive myself, even though I would die in a heartbeat to save him. I wish I could see him right now, to thank him for all of this. But he'd have to get through a lot of peacekeepers first, seeing as he is a tribute now. I hope my parents aren't too upset, and that my friends won't miss me. I've always hated saying goodbye, but it will be the last time I see my parents and friends.

"Oh Addy," My mother has already started to cry. She hugs me tight and I wish she would never let go. My father remains silent, but I can see the tears streaming down his face. Even he could not stop the peacekeepers from bringing me to the stage. No one can stop anything the Capitol seems to do anyways. My mother starts to ramble on about what a perfect child I have always been, but if I were perfect, why would I be given death? I must have done something wrong, but Ryder didn't. He volunteered to try to help me live through this. They tell me that they are proud of me no matter what, whether I come in first or twenty fourth.

But that's when they say something that surprises me. My father breaks his silence to tell me that I can do it. I hear all about how smart and strong I am, but I'm sure others are as well. Anything I do, I'm sure there will be someone in the games who can do it better. I'm just a fourteen year old girl who has lived an easy life. The only thing that could get me out of the arena would be some good luck. Even that wouldn't be good luck - Ryder would be dead. _Oh Ryder_ , I think to myself. I never realized that my tone is almost identical to my mother's. Before I know it, my parents are leaving, and I am alone.

"We love you Addy. Always."

I am already in tears before my friends visit me. Though I have many, only those in my closest circle come to visit me - Merona, Fora, Heather, and Vivian. I can see through their fake smiles about the beautiful Capitol that they are upset about this unfortunate situation. Once Heather starts to cry, everyone does.

"I think the saddest part was when that Ryder boy volunteered. I didn't know he cared about you, or really anyone that much," States Merona, as if Ryder was some robot who felt nothing.

"He cares about me more than any of you could ever fathom. And if you are going to sit here and act as if Ryder doesn't have feelings, then I don't want you sitting here!" I scream, "Get out. You don't deserve to be here if you are going to talk about him like that," I see their eyes widen with fear, and they run out before I get any angrier.

As I sob alone in the room, I realized that I forgot about my necklace. As I take it off, I am able to think that for a moment, everything will be alright. Though my actual heart is broken, this heart necklace that Ryder gave me remains whole. He worked so many extra hours this summer to get me this, and he probably sacrificed a couple of meals along the way just to find the money for it as well. He always seems to feel the need to provide for me, despite him living in poverty. It's heartwarming yet insanely heartbreaking that he would go through so much just to buy something for me. This will be my token in the games.

When Ryder comes in to my room, he slams the door tight and is panting heavily. He holds me close as he tries to wipe the tears from my face, but each time he does so, new ones reappear.

"How did you get in here?" I inquire. Tributes are not usually allowed to be alone or unmonitored.

"I...got into...a fight..with...the...peacekeepers...at your...door...and I...knocked...them...out," He can barely finish the sentence. I try to help him lift his arms above his head to make the breathing a bit easier. Peacekeepers are usually very strong and come from richer districts. While I'm impressed that he was able to do this, I'm worried about the repercussions of him being in this room with me.

"Just breath Ryder, okay? In through your nose and out through your mouth," I kiss him on the cheek as he nods back at me to acknowledges my instructions. He is swaying back and forth and he looks a little dizzy. I'm worried he may faint, so I get him to sit down.

He's still breathing hard, but I think he's okay to answer my question. It's a question I simply can't wait any longer to ask.

"Why did you volunteer Ryder?" He gives a little chuckle as if I asked him what color the sky was.

"That's an easy...question. Because I love...you and would do...anything for you. There's no...way I would ever... put my life before yours," He answers and wraps me in his ever warm body. I didn't notice how hot this room was before. I wish I could open a window, but there are none present. The room is stifling because there are no openings, since Ryder closed the door and all.

"But I feel the same way about you," I try to let him know. I don't think he realizes how much he matters to me.

"It's not like anyone else does. Addy, everyone loves you, not just me. No one would care too much if I was gone. This will not be the last time you see District Ten, and I can promise you that," I start crying at this. I can't deal with the fact that both of us, or maybe one of us if we're lucky, will be dead.

"BUT RYDER! IF I LOST YOU I WOULD HAVE NOTHING! I WOULD BE NOTHING!" I scream louder than I ever have before. This surprises him, and now he is crying too.

"I _am_ nothing Addy. You are something. You are something very special, and you can't forget that," That's when the door breaks down, and eight peacekeepers barge in to the room to take Ryder away from me. It's my fault for speaking too loudly and I feel terrible.

"He didn't try to hurt you did he?" Obviously not, but they don't know Ryder like I do.

"Are you kidding me right now? Addy happens to be the love of my life, and you tried to take her away. She's all I have, so if you would leave us alone for me to comfort her, maybe you could actually consider yourself a good person," Tears pour out of his eyes with the peacekeepers showing no sympathy.

"You can talk to her all you want in the arena. Now get out of her room!" Ryder punches and hits the peacekeepers as they take him away but there are too many. It hurts my heart each time they punch and hit him back. He didn't deserve this.

 _Why would he go through so much pain for a small chance in keeping me alive?_

 **Author's Note: This chapter brought me so many feels writing. I fell in love with Addy and Ryder the moment I created them but writing them makes me love them so much more!**

 **Yours Truly,**

 **CuriousClove :)**


	5. The Train Ride

Chapter 5: Where the Journey Begins

It was in this moment where everything set in.

As I boarded the freezing train to the Capitol, I hear Ryder give a sigh of relief. He appreciates air-conditioning a lot more than I do. As we sit down, we finally get some time alone, and there are no peacekeepers present to give us a scolding. Ryder and I sit in silence, holding hands. Though his are warm and wet, mine are cold and dry. The next thing I know, my arms and legs have goosebumps and my teeth are chattering. Once Ryder sees this, he hugs me tight and I am comfortable in no time. I'm not sure if it's a blessing or a curse that he is always so hot, but right now, it's the only thing keeping me from crying.

"Hello Angels! I'm Magna Tolly and I am going to be your escort! But you probably already knew that," Magna says with a giggle at the end. How can she be so happy when it's clear we are so sad? "I didn't realize how short you were on stage, Ryder. I thought you were a big strong volunteer, just like those in some of the career districts!" Once Ryder hears this he unleashes the angry version of himself by using some choice words at Magna, then leaves the room. Ryder is two inches taller than me, but I am extremely tiny. For a girl, it doesn't matter too much, but for a boy, he's very short, and if there is anything he hates, its when someone calls him short.

A taller woman walks into the room and I immediately know who it is. Dawn Hart was my district's first victor, and she's very kind and understanding from what I have heard. She's thirty-two now but she won the third games, back at a time when there was no such thing as careers. She gave our district hope for the future, that the Hunger Games isn't necessarily a death sentence.

"I'm sorry about this, Addy," Dawn says to me as if it was her fault I was Reaped. "I'm guessing you know Ryder already, the boy that volunteered. Is he a relative of yours?" I shake my head, and Dawn seems a bit surprised. "So he's a friend. You two must be very close, for him to volunteer to help you in the games," I can tell she is trying to cheer me up, but it's not working. I shake my head again, and I can no longer hold in my tears. Something changes in her eyes. "He's your boyfriend, isn't he," She looks at me the most pitiful anyone has looked at me all day. "If there's anything I can do to make this better, please let me know," _Yeah, find a way for both of us to live,_ I think to myself. There are a couple minutes of silence.

"Why, that's the most heartbreaking story I have heard in my entire life," Magna says, although I can't believe it took her this long to connect the dots. I would say to her that this is not a story, it's my life, and that she is most likely the most idiotic person I have ever met, but my name is Addy Walker, not Ryder Murphy. I keep negative thoughts inside my head. She soon excuses herself and says she needs to get ready for dinner.

I see another familiar face arrive to join my pity party. Our district's latest victor won the ninth hunger games. Colt Hogarth was a butcher's son, and a silent assassin. I think he killed four tributes in the arena, which is one of the most of the outer district victors. He's twenty five now, but he's changed a bit from entering the arena. He's gotten quieter, and I think he has some anger issues, just like Ryder does. He has a defeated look on his face, so I inferred that he heard my conversation with Dawn, who simply gives him a sad smile. I wish Ryder would come back. I don't feel safe anymore without his presence. He can make me feel safe in any situation.

"Addy, do you want to tell us a bit about yourself? It will help us help you if we learn more about you," Dawn says in a friendly tone.

"I guess, but I'm telling you right now that I'm not that strong, and that I don't think I could actual kill another human being,"

"Neither did I," Colt says to me. I guess people change in the arena.

"Don't doubt yourself Addy," Dawn says. "I'm sure there is something that you're good at," It's nice to think that people believe in me. I start to tell them about myself.

"My parents own one of the biggest farms in Ten, and I provide care for the animals, and occasionally the employees if they need it. So I'll be able to help Ryder with any wounds he might get in the arena," The thought of someone hurting him makes me sick.

"That's great Addy! But don't forget about yourself in there," I can tell Dawn is taking a liking to me.

"I'm also a pretty fast runner. If someone tries to kill me, I could go a while before stopping," Dawn is super happy to hear this, and she then tells me that I'm the one of the most prepared tributes she's had in a couple years. I feel a bit more confident, and I think this might not be hopeless after all.

"What about Ryder?" Colt asks me, but he doesn't seemed concerned. Anyone that volunteers has to have something going for them, but especially my Ryder.

"Ryder is an amazing person," I say with adoring eyes. "He is so physically and mentally strong. He knocked out two peacekeepers just so he could comfort me during the goodbye session. Sometimes kids are mean to him at school, so he's had his fair share of fist fights. Also, his family lives in poverty, but it doesn't stop him from being a hard worker. He will do anything for the people he loves," I think Ryder could win if he wanted to. I don't want to be the reason he doesn't.

"You describe him like he's a knight in shining armor," Says Dawn, seeing how much I love him.

"He is to me."

"Is there any weaknesses he has though? It's important you tell us these because we'll be able to help him if we know what he needs help with," Dawn is very smart, and she's just as nice as the people in Ten say.

"Yeah, he has a few. Sometimes he gets really angry, but he tries to keep it in check when I'm around, so I don't think it will be a problem in the arena. He doesn't have the best stamina, but he tries his best to continue whatever task is at hand. And also, he perspires a lot, so he needs to have water available in the arena. He gets hot really eas..."

"There is no way in hell you are making me wear this," I am interrupted as I hear as Ryder being ushered into the room. He has changed his clothes, probably against his will, into a blue button down shirt, tan pants, and a navy blazer with a navy tie to match. Being in a fancy dress already I guess they didn't feel the need to tell me to change. This is a big difference from the t-shirt and shorts he was in before. I know the look on his face - he is hot and uncomfortable.

"Ryder, you have to make a good impression on any sponsors. You never know when they're watching. The capitolites loves well dressed men. I should know," Magna says with a familiar laugh.

"I'm taking this off. I can't stand it!" Ryder is starting to raise his voice. As he is about to unbutton his blazer, Colt stops him.

"Just wear the damn blazer," Colt says to him. Ryder looks at me with sad eyes. They don't realize how much they are torturing him. I eat across the way from him as instructed, but I wish I could hold his hand and cool him off. His face is bright red and he has broken a sweat without doing any physical activity. Once we finish dinner, Magna and the mentors leave to go to sleep.

The moment everyone leaves, I rush over to Ryder to try to cool him off. I start to unbutton his blazer when he suddenly refuses.

"Ryder, what's wrong? You're not usually like this," He's making me confused.

"They said sponsors could be watching. It's not a good look," He opens his jacket quickly to show me sweat stains on his shirt that have gone from his armpit down to the bottom of his rib cage. That's when I realize something that I say in a whisper.

"I hope you know Magna is an idiot. We're not in the Capitol yet! We are on a train ride there, and the sponsors are there, not here. No one is going to see anything except for me," This makes him feel better. I take off the blazer, and as I loosen his tie, I hear another audible sigh of relief, just as when he walked in to the train car.

"I love you. I love you with every single bone in my body," I laugh as he says this, and he kisses me, proud that we have overcome this first challenge, small as it may be.

 _How much worse will the other challenges be?_

 **Author's Note: This is my longest chapter to date! I worked really hard on this and I hope you enjoy!**

 **Yours Truly,**

 **CuriousClove :)**


	6. The Tribute Parade

Chapter 6: When the Spotlight Shines

There were so many people who were excited to watch me die.

Once we got to the Capitol, Ryder and I were split up and sent to the stylists. Mine were kind hearted people, but they were a bit over enthusiastic about the games. I don't think they realized that they would probably never see them again. After a good amount of primping, I felt like a totally different person. I was never one who cared about what she looked like, so I found this process both strange and tedious. When I looked in the mirror, I saw barely any difference in my appearance. When my stylists said that I was naturally pretty, and they did a lot less work on me than most of the other girls they've had, I was shocked.

That was when they dressed me in my outfit for the Tribute Parade. I was a bit nervous, because the District Ten Outfits are usually a hit or a miss. I happened to really like mine. I am in a tan dress that goes down to my knees, made of a fur that is thin and comfortable. They place a headband in my hair resembling ears of some sort. I am wearing makeup and high heels. By looking at the marks on my face, I can tell I am a deer. The thought is pretty ironic, because at the moment I truly am a deer, a deer in the headlights, that is. As I meet with Ryder, who was in a fur hide going from his shoulder to his back to his feet, wrapping around his legs. He has horns on his head, and under the fur hide he is wearing a white t-shirt and black pants. He is already complaining about the heat of it, but only the stylists know how to take it off.

As we walk to our chariot, tenth in line, I observe the other tributes, whose names I learned on the way here. It relaxed me because it helped me to realize that they are just kids thrown into this crazy mess as well. District One's Lavish and Victor were very tall volunteers, and I presumed that they would be members of the career pack. The girl from Two, Jacqueline, was about the same size as me, but had a lethal look in her eyes, and Homer scared me just as much. The pair from Three, Vivienne and Ajax did not strike fear in my heart like those in the chariots before them. Columbia and Castia from District Four looked like they would be joining the others in the career pack.

District Five's tributes Perl and Reilly both looked tiny and weak. The boy from Six, Ash, looked very nervous while the Felicity looked as if she was without a care in the world. There was something about the girl from Seven, Eretria, that scared me the most out of any tribute so far, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I was so busy staring at her that I forgot to see the boy, Prunus. The girl from Eight, Weaven, looked so small and fragile, and I felt bad that she was put into this. The boy, Stitch, smiled at me, maybe I reminded him of one of those little girls, or presumably his sisters, I watched cry at his Reaping. I wish everyone could return home, but there can only be one victor. And that person needs to be Ryder.

We were almost at our assigned chariot when we saw the pair from District 9. The female, Wheta, looked easily as strong as the careers, if not stronger. On the other hand, her district partner looked weak and afraid, completely contradicting her. As Ryder and I sat in our chariot, I took a glance behind us at Soya and Archer from Eleven, and then Callie and Carlos from Twelve. None of them seemed like threats. I'm sure people are think the same thing about me though. There are so many strong people here that could easily win these games. All I am is a little girl that is hoping her boyfriend can get home. What are the odds that can actually happen? As long as I can control it, you never know.

"It is _so_ hot in here," I'm not surprised to hear Ryder complaining. Every year, thousands of Capitol citizens come to watch the tribute parade. You can feel the heat from them, even though we haven't even seen them yet. I'm feeling warm myself, my costume is comfortable, but with Ryder's fur hyde, he is easily going to be the warmest one here compared to any of the others. He starts to wipe his sweat with his shirt when I have a realization.

"I know you're really hot, and I'm sorry it has to be this way, but don't wipe your sweat once the parade starts. The Capitolites won't be close enough to see the sweat itself, but they will see if you're constantly wiping it," Ryder laughs a little, but I can tell he is overheated.

"Are you sure? I look disgusting either way," I feel bad when he says that, even though it's not true.

"You could never look disgusting," I say as I wrap my arms around him for a hug and kiss him quickly on the cheek.

"Stay there. It feels good," Ryder only asks for this when he's _really_ hot. Even though it is making me hotter, it's helping him stay cooler so I don't mind. That's when our chariot starts to move.

We are soon in front of more people than I could have ever imagined. For a moment, I just take it all in, it's so beautiful! The people are cheering and they all look so happy. _Happy to watch me die._ As I start to smile and wave, I feel Ryder place his arms on my shoulders and he brings my head close to his. Sweat is pouring off of him but he has heeded my advice and is paying no attention to it. Then he kisses me, in front of the whole nation. The cheers grow louder and the capitolites are throwing roses at us. They scream our names, which means that we have some fans. I would never believe that they would like us, let alone like us so quickly. Before I know it, the chariot ride is over and we have stopped to listen to a speech from the president. I feel dirty looks from Soya and Archer before the president calls for silence.

"Tributes," I feel Ryder squeeze my hand, knowing he is as nervous as I am. "The Capitol welcomes you with open arms. And we salute your sacrifice, bravery, and honor you will present. We wish you all a happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor!" The odds are certainly against us, but it's not impossible. There truly is a chance, no matter how small, that Ryder or I could return home. The most painful part is _or._ I look at the faces around me and I realize all but one of us will be dead in the coming weeks. It's a thought I try to dismiss.

We get back to the hotel where Ryder can finally take off his fur hide and he smiles at me with relief. Before I go to my room I kiss him on the cheek.

"Thanks for being here for me," I say it and I mean it.

"Always," He looks into my eyes for a moment, and everything sets in.

 _How could one of us live without the other?_

 **Author's Note: Hello! I wanted to give a heads up that I won't be online for the next few days as I will be on vacation. Also, I have created a SYOT if any of you are interested, please check my profile for more information!**

 **Yours Truly,**

 **CuriousClove**


	7. Training Day One

Chapter 7: How to Survive

What I spend time learning during the next three days could be the difference between life or death.

As I walk into the training center, I hold Ryder's hand tighter than I ever have before. He looks into my eyes and smiles at me, as if to say _Hey, it's going to be okay._ It still makes me sick that I'm the reason that he's here. Regardless, today will be his time to shine. He is both the physically and mentally strongest person I know, and even though I wish he wasn't here, I'm so thankful I have him to protect me. The head trainer soon starts to speak in quite a commanding voice.

"There is no fighting allowed while training. Those caught fighting will be escorted out for the day," This won't be a problem for me, but I hope Ryder can keep his anger under control today.

"I'm surprised they wouldn't roll in the cameras instead," I hear a masculine voice in a feminine outfit. Reilly gets a few looks from what he said, but we soon get on to the different training sessions.

"Anywhere you want to go?" I as Ryder, figuring he knows better than I do.

"Exactly where you are," He responds and gives me a kiss on the cheek. I laugh a little, happy that he can joke at a time like this.

"Do you mind if we do something that seems kind of fun?" I point to the obstacle course. "No one else is over there so we can get some time to ourselves," He grins back at me, already walking in that direction.

I was right about the obstacle course being somewhat entertaining. I've always been pretty fast and agile, so I didn't have too much trouble completing it. I continued to try different courses, repeating the ones I enjoyed the most. I didn't even realize I had spent an hour and a half there until I glanced at the clock. I look to see if Ryder is behind me and he is not there, which means he probably fell behind on the courses. I look over four of them to my right and observe that he looks like he is about to keel over.

I run to him reach him just in time as he collapses into my arms. He's still conscious, but he looks exhausted and his face is beet red, it takes a bit of an effort because he weighs a good amount more than me, but I carry him to the nearest bench.

"I'm...sorry... I'm just... so tired," Ryder says to me through his heavy breathing, as if this is his fault. I should have known better than to rush the courses, knowing he would follow me. He's never had the best stamina, whereas mine is fairly good. I knew that and I ignored it.

"You're sorry? Ryder, this is all my fault, I'm the one that needs to apologize. I didn't realize how tired you were. You're going to be okay, they have medical staff if you need it," He shakes his head and I'm glad this is nothing too serious. Slowly his breathing returns back to normal. His eyes lock in to mine and he smiles.

"What's the problem? Is there trouble in paradise?" Archer, the District Eleven Male, who is a tall boy with evil green eyes has started an unnecessary conversation.

"There is no problem here except your presence," Says Ryder. _Now is really not the time to be making enemies._

"I think you might be mistaken. You see, I love to steal. Necklaces, watches, wallets, you name it and I have stolen it," He looks at me and gives an eerie smile as he looks back to Ryder. "And I'm about to steal your girl," I look at Ryder in both confusion and fear as Archer wraps his arm around me and tries to walk away. I can't handle being separated from Ryder and I am holding back tears.

"Over my dead body," I see Ryder stand up from the bench and know that it is not him. This is the Ryder that does things that are out of control and gets into fights. I can't have him get into this, not now.

"Ryder we need to go," I say to him, unsure if he will listen. I grab his hand and run away.

"I'll be keeping my eye on you!" I hear Ryder scream to Archer as we exit the scene. We go off to a water fountain where no one is nearby.

"No one could ever steal you from me, just so you know. But please don't get angry with anyone, we can't be targeted once we get into the arena," I tell Ryder and kiss him on the cheek.

"Then let's go somewhere away from that idiot. And maybe something not so physical, I'm exhausted," I feel pity as I hear his plea.

"I'm sorry again Ryder. You can always tell me if you are too tired to continue with something. It's important-"

"I love you," I am interrupted by Ryder's voice as he pulls me in for a quick hug. I have messed up on so many different occasions in my life, and he still loves me. I am so thankful he is here.

"I love you too," I say back with a smile. "I'm sorry to change the subject so fast, but would you like to go to identifying edible plants? It seems interesting," He nods as he takes my hand, taking me to the station.

As we worked individually on figuring out which plants were safe and which ones were poisonous, I started to get a bit frustrated. They all looked so similar, and Ryder seemed to be getting them correct with ease. I'm not surprised, sometimes when his family has nothing to eat he has had to do this before. I wish I could've given him food for him as we have a surplus, but my parents never allowed me to. I have a good memory, but for each plant, there is one that is looks similar but is lethal. I've never been the one who didn't understand the task at hand, so I felt a little helpless. There are tears in my eyes as I excuse myself to the trainer and say I will be back in five minutes.

I start to cry quietly once I reach the water fountain I was at with Ryder earlier. I know I'm not going to be able to survive in the games. The only thing I am living for is to protect him but if I can't survive I won't be able to help him in any way. I suddenly feel arms wrap around my waist from behind, and all my worries go away. Almost. I spin around to look Ryder in the eyes.

"Don't worry about the plant thing. You'll never be alone in the arena, 'cause I'll always be there to help you. I promise," I try my best to smile at him when he says this. I start to see some of the other tributes leave the area and I conclude the training session is over for the day.

 _Is everyone else as afraid of the games as I am?_

 **Hi everyone! I'm so happy to be back and I can't wait to continue this story!**

 **Yours Truly,**

 **CuriousClove**


	8. Training Day Two

Chapter 8: When I Realized I Could

I've found the smallest glimmer of hope.

When Ryder decided we should spend the day focusing on weapons and such, I was quite concerned. I knew immediately he'd be good with most of them, but I wasn't so sure about myself. I've never touched anything that could kill someone in my life, besides a butter knife and a steak knife on rare occasions. We started out with hand-to-hand combat, I was too afraid to go to weapons right away. We each sparred with a trainer, and Ryder was excelling. I guess getting into all of those fist fights paid off. I wasn't faring as well as him, I was able to block the trainer's blows but I was a little afraid to do any type of damage to him. I guess it's just my nature.

After we spend time with many different weapons, I'm still not feeling all too confident with any of them. But for some reason, I was drawn to the bow and arrow. Yesterday when I saw Lavish, the girl from One, shooting an arrow into the air, there was something almost pretty about it. Of course, when it sunk into the dummy soon after I almost felt nauseous. Ryder and I start shooting, he isn't getting anywhere near the target but I am doing fairly well. Most of my shots are going on either the red or yellow sections, the two closest to the center. I don't want to shoot at the dummies but I keep working with the targets.

One of the trainers taps my shoulder and points to the dummies, suggesting I try shooting at them. I look at her with fear in my eyes but she smiles encouragingly. I breathe in deeply, shooting an arrow that lands on the left collarbone of the dummy, close to where a human's heart would be.

"You're getting good at that," Ryder says to me. I can tell by the twinkle in his eyes that he's proud.

"Thanks," I respond, smiling at him. I reload my bow release another arrow - this one ending up in the dummy's stomach. Ryder looks amazed.

"You got a kill right there," he says. I try smile back at him but on the inside I feel sick.

I don't want to kill any of these people. We're all still children, but only one of us can live out our lives and that has to be Ryder. I just don't know if I'm ready to end someone else's life in order to do that. What gives me the most anxiety is the fact that it could be the two of us at the end. What would we do then? I know Ryder would try to die for me but I would do the same for him. I know that both of us are too stubborn to change our minds as well. My thoughts are overwhelming me, doesn't the Capitol have a little bit of mercy?

I take a glance over at the station to my right and see the boy from District Eight, Stitch, throwing a spear and he towers over both me and Ryder by at least a foot. It lands right in the stomach of a dummy, making a sickening sound that almost makes me gag. How ironic that just moments ago I was thinking of being at the finale with Ryder. There are people that have been training since they were little kids to win this, and others years older than me. I hate to say this, but the odds of Ryder and me both being alive at that point is slim to none. I wish that this wasn't the case but seeing everyone else in action at training has made this situation so much more real to me.

Ryder and I take a quick lunch break, selecting a table no one else is sitting at so we can have some alone time. The food here has been so wonderful, more delicious than most of the things I eat at home. It makes me happy when I see Ryder's eyes light up each time he digs in to anything.

"This is so good," Ryder says with his mouth full. He shoves more of the lobster into his mouth, and I can't help but giggle. I can't blame him for not knowing good table manners when he's spent so much of his life without food present on the table. As he continues to shove more food down his throat I look around at the tributes at other tables around us.

The most notable group of tributes is easily the Careers, as per usual. This year, there are seven members instead of the usual six, with the addition of Wheta, the girl from Nine. Young Perl seems to be giggling at Ash as they sit together. Soya from Eleven is sitting across the table with Archer, who thankfully hasn't stirred up any trouble since yesterday. I hope he doesn't cause Ryder and I problems in the arena. Carlos is eating with Prunus, who it almost looks as though he is afraid of. The pair from Three sit together having a quiet conversation. I also take note of the other sitting alone. Weaven sits with her nose in a book, and Shaun seems to be looking at the Careers like they will pounce on him at any moment. Felicity from Six is munching on some bread and Callie is gobbling her food down twice as fast as Ryder. Stitch and Eretria each eat alone as well, I feel so intimidated by both of them.

At first, seeing others with their allies made me very afraid. Some of these groups of tributes are lethal and I know we'll have to keep an eye out for them in the arena. But there's no one else I'd rather have by my side in the arena over Ryder. I know he'd protect me from any sort of danger and I would do the exact same thing for him. He's super strong and can fight, and I'll be able to help him heal any wound he gets. Working with the bow and arrow today gave me more confidence as well. I just hope that by some miracle Ryder can live through this. No one could possibly deserve it more. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that he gets to live.

 _But will it be enough?_

 **Hey everybody! I'm glad I was able to get a chapter out on this story. These two make me happy when I write about them.**

 **Yours Truly,**

 **CuriousClove**


	9. Training Day Three

Chapter 9: What it Takes to Kill

Today would be the last time I touched a weapon until I was in the arena.

Last night was scary, I've never seen Ryder as emotionally unstable as he was. We were eating dinner with Dawn, Colt, and Magna when he ran out of the room. I excused myself from the table and I ran after him. He darted into his room and muffled his screams with a pillow. I wait a moment before approaching him, almost afraid to do so. I put my hand on his back and he turned around.

"What's going on?" I asked him, laying right beside him over the covers on his bead. He didn't respond, so I just wrapped my arms around him and stayed that way, letting him cry until he was ready to talk about it.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," I said, after what felt like eternity.

"I do though," his blonde hair was a mess and he just looked so defeated.

"What's making you so upset?" I waited patiently until he was ready to speak.

"It's just everything. I keep replaying the thoughts of someone hurting you inside my head and I can't get them out. And I can't stop thinking about if someone were to kill you. I wouldn't be able to deal with this without you. If you were dead I wouldn't know what to do with myself," he breathed hard with sadness and I kissed him.

"I'm here for you and I always will be. I promise it's all going to be okay," I wasn't really sure what else to do but I stayed beside him.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" No, nothing like that, we're fourteen. He meant just to make him feel more comfortable.

"Of course I will," I said as I drifted off in his arms.

I was glad our training session was only a half day today. Ryder was awake the whole night and I felt horrible that I couldn't stay up with him. I was too exhausted but he didn't mind. He has horrible bags under his eyes as a result of this but he seems okay otherwise. Tonight we are getting scored in our private training sessions for all of Panem to see. It's crucial that we do well because all of the sponsors will be watching, and we're going to want as many people to want to help us stay alive as possible. Ryder and I agreed that today we would focus on some hand to hand combat, but that we wouldn't give a hundred percent as we want to save our energy for later.

Each of us face off against a trainer and I begin to feel very intimidated. My opponent is over a foot taller than me and he is a large, muscular man. On my first,attempt he tackles me almost immediately, but after he proceeds to show me the best ways to win such an uneven match up. Soon enough, I am able to take down the trainer even though I know he is not trying his hardest. But I look over and I see Ryder is trying much harder than he is supposed to be. He has sweat dripping down his neck and onto his uniform, and he is panting loudly. I thank the trainers for their time and take Ryder's hand and leave the area, finding a small room that is private.

"I thought we were gonna take it easy today," I say to him gently.

"Sorry. I got a little too into the fighting I guess," he chuckles a little. Fighting has never been out of the ordinary with Ryder. I never understood why the other kids were so mean to him, he never deserved it.

"It's fine. I just want to make sure we're in good shape for tonight. I hope we get okay scores," at the moment, it seems as though we are somewhat liked in the Capitol. The Tribute Parade showed us that the Capitol likes the fact that the two of us are dating.

"Me too. And I think we're gonna do great," Ryder says as he hugs me tightly.

"Do you want to go over to the medical station? I'll be your dummy," he says with a giggle. I think that will be relaxing for both of us, considering I already have a good amount of medical knowledge.

I don't even bother getting instructions from a trainer at this station. The trainer just smiles at me, impressed by my knowledge. She smiles at Ryder and I as I wrap his arm in the way that would keep it from bleeding in the best way.

"Wanna know the best way to make an injury better?" Ryder says with a dorky smile that I don't often see.

"Yeah. Maybe it could help us in the arena," I say, acknowledging that every bit of information will help.

"This," he says, kissing me on the cheek. I mean, kisses from Ryder always make everything better, so he's not lying.

A little while later I request to Ryder that I practice my archery skills one more time. I want to make sure I am as prepared as possible come my private session tonight. I don't plan on showing any of my medicinal skills because I want to surprise everyone with that. I'm okay with my competition thinking I am somewhat weak. Since everyone has already seen me shoot, that's not really something that I can hide, and since those skills are pretty good I'm just hoping for an average score.

Dawn had told me a good score for someone like me would be about a six, and I would be content with that. That's something that would show the sponsors that I've at least got some talents without making me too big of a threat. Ryder on the other hand was told to go for an eight. He has established himself as strong from the get go and there is no doubt in my mind that he can achieve that score. He's so strong and I know that he can do anything he puts his mind to. If only I could channel my inner Ryder and find his strength tonight.

 _How strong will I be in the gamemakers' eyes?_

 **Here's another chapter I had a lot of fun writing! I've been sick this week and so I've been staying home which has enabled me to write more. I can't wait to write Addy's private session!**

 **Yours Truly,**

 **CuriousClove :)**


	10. Private Session

Chapter 10: When I Proved Myself

Everything was on the line.

Tonight was my time with the gamemakers and I was really nervous. I had fifteen minutes to show them that I was more than just a helpless little girl that was going to die in the bloodbath. I may have looked small and weak at the Reaping, but I think people remembered Ryder and I after the Tribute Parade. If I get a good score tonight, that will make more people want to sponsor and help Ryder and me in the games. If my score is too high, then others may see me as a threat, so I don't want to aim too high. However, if I don't aim high enough, than no one will want to help me save Ryder. And saving him is the only thing I want.

I sit in the waiting room in my assigned seat, exactly where I would've chosen anyways - right next to Ryder. He's as nervous as me, if not more so. I'm holding his hand and it's really sweaty, and it's also shaking.

"You're going to be fine Ryder. You're the strongest person I've ever met and I know the gamemakers are going to see that," a cold sweat has broken on his forehead and I wipe it away. Instead of responding, he just kisses me. I honestly don't know why he's so concerned, he is so very strong and I know he will do great things. Even though we're from an outer district, I hope we get the attention and respect we deserve from the gamemakers.

That will be quite a task, seeing as we're towards the end of the list of tributes. It goes in order of districts, with the male preceding the female for each. Everyone from Victor to Prunus is already finished and back in their rooms. Eretria has already went in for her session, next will be Stitch, and it will continue all the way to Ryder and me - with four more tributes after us. The farther on the list gets, the more drunk the gamemakers become. I've heard through the grapevine that last year one of the gamemakers passed out before he even got to judge the District Twelve Female. She ended up with a score of three by the others still conscious, and later died in the bloodbath. I just hope that those watching me are in good enough condition to see my worth.

Ryder soon goes in to the room and I am left alone with the four others that are still waiting. Before he leaves, he gives me a wink and I blow him a kiss, just for good luck. I have a feeling that he will do very well and Dawn and Colt will be proud of him. Over the past few days I've really connected with her and she has told me that Colt has never cared this much about his tribute before. He and Ryder have a lot in common and I think they were a perfect match. Fifteen minutes seems to fly by and Ryder walks out of the room with an avox. I run up to him and hug him tightly, though we don't have time to speak as he gets pulled away right after.

I am now once again in a room with only Callie, Carlos, Soya, and am sadly sitting next to Archer. He's been giving me evil eyes ever since Ryder left the room and they chill me to the bone. It freaks me out to think that he will be dead in a few weeks, just like me if I want Ryder to live. I would never wish death on any of the tributes, not even him.

"Ready sweetheart?" He says giving me a similar wink as my boyfriend had done minutes ago.

"I will be once you leave me alone," he looks a bit shocked that I stood up to him. They call my name to go inside and I feel him untie my shoe, the minutes he's not looking I tie it back and am ready to fight.

I walk into a room filled with many gamemakers, and I'm feeling very scared. I wish Ryder was here but I know that this is something I have to do on my own.

"Hi I'm Addy and I'm from District Ten!" I say sweetly, just as Dawn and I had practiced. We decided I should go in with an adorable personality that would make them think I am a cute little kid, and then we'd surprise them with my skills.

I head over to the bow and arrow station, ready to show them what I can do.

The first arrow I shoot lands in a red circle, which is good, but not great. Yellow is in the center, then red, blue, black, and lastly white. My next arrow lands in the blue circle, and I don't show how upset I am. I use that as fuel for my next shot, which I land in the yellow zone! I get quite excited about this, but once again show no emotion externally. I shoot six more arrows, two landing in the red and four in the yellow. Before I leave the room, I thank the gamemakers and I leave with an avox, who sends me on the elevator into my room.

I wonder what they thought of me. Most fourteen year olds in the past are too scared out of their mind to attempt using a weapon. The farthest someone my age has ever gotten in the games was fifth place where he died of dehydration. It's hard being compared to people so much older than you, but hopefully I made a good enough impression to get somewhat of a decent score. I'll have to wait until tonight to find out. I wonder if it will be close to the others. I know Ryder's score will be quite high, but I don't want to be too much lower than him.

What _if my score is so low that no one will want to sponsor Ryder and I?_

 **I'm so close to the games and I just realized it! I just have two more chapters planned before we get to the bloodbath! Happy New Year's Eve, by the way!**

 **Yours Truly,**

 **CuriousClove :)**


	11. Interviews

Chapter Eleven: How I Became Known

I was no longer just a fourteen year old girl from District Ten - I was now someone who got an eight on her training score.

I had absolutely no idea how I was given such a wonderful score, but I was so grateful and proud. I was surprised I achieved the same score as Ryder, but he was really proud of me, which made me feel so happy and loved. Dawn and Colt were both very excited for us as well. Even Colt gave Ryder a hug, and Colt is a man who usually shows no affection whatsoever. I'm sure my score will be spoken about in my interview tonight, which all of Panem gets to see. They are all going to be waiting to see who Addy Walker truly is.

I'm sure they'll think I'm way more beautiful than I am on a regular day. My silver dress goes down to my knees, and it contains the most sparkles I have ever seen. My shoes match, studded with pretty silver stones. I've never walked in high heels before, but I feel surprisingly comfortable walking in them. They're somewhat high - when I wear them I'm even a bit taller than Ryder. My hair is in a crown braid which is merged into a low ponytail at the bottom. My stylist giggled at the fact that she didn't have to straighten my hair, unlike most girls my hair is naturally that way. I feel so much older than I am, but I know it's just due to the outfit and that I'll probably never get a chance to grow up.

"I sense love brewing in the games, don't you? Let's welcome one of the lovebirds now! Addy Walker!" Antonion announces my name and I walk out onto the stage. He has been interviewing the tributes since the first Hunger Games. I shake his hand and sit down in my seat.

"So Addy, we have seen you very affectionate to a certain tribute," I smile brightly at him, knowing he's talking about Ryder.

"Yes. I mean he's amazing, so how can I not love him?" The Capitol goes crazy at this.

"He is a very strapping young man," Antionion responds. Ryder's interview is after this and I know he's waiting backstage.

"Very, but that's not why I fell for him," I say. He's so much more than just attractive.

"Oh?"

"It was his personality. He was so sweet and gentle and that's a side of him not many people see. When I first met him, I admit, I was like everyone else and thought he was this mean brute but then one day at my farm, where he works, he helped me. I had fallen off the ladder and cut my leg and he was right there. His voice was so gentle and he bandaged me up right then and there and then helped me get back to my bedroom. After that, we just started talking more and more and one day he kissed me. Right there, I knew he had my heart," The crowd claps loudly as I finish, and the buzzer going off indicates that I must leave the stage. I wait in the wings to watch Ryder's interview just as I promised I would.

"Introducing the second lovebird of the nest! Ryder Murphy!" Antonion says excitedly. I saw his outfit before and he looks amazing.

"We've just finished interviewing with Addy and we can see why you love her so much," I blush as the audience members cheer and clap. I guess I made a good impression.

"Isn't she great? She is someone I can really be myself with - my rock. I'm not really sure what I would do without her," Ryder was told to be extra pleasant in his interview angle, and he is delivering. He is my rock and he always will be.

"Is that why you came to the games with her?" We knew this would come up in his interview due to the fact that he volunteered.

"I couldn't have left her alone. To enter the Hunger Games by herself, to fight for her life while I sat back and watched. I couldn't take her spot in the games but I could enter with her to help her," I wish he didn't put me before himself so much. He deserves to live, not me.

"But only one of you will live," Antonion says the thing that makes me sick to my stomach. Ryder can't die, he's been through so much already. I just hope I don't die painfully.

"That's why I volunteered," the buzzer rings and I feel really nauseous at the fact that this boy would die for me, but the nausea turns into butterflies as soon as Ryder kisses me when he comes backstage.

Soya is up next, but I'm too busy to listen because I'm hugging Ryder, feeling the warmth of his body in my own. She comes off stage, and there seems to be a bit of commotion from the crowd. Archer is next, and I hope he doesn't do anything problematic in his interview. Ryder and I are still wrapped in each other's arms so we miss the first portion of his interview.

"So you're single?" Antonion asks him.

"Nah. Me and that girl from Ten, Addy, started hooking up and I'm going to see where that goes," the moment I hear this I start to cry. Why would he lie like that? Ryder hugs me immediately.

"I'd never ever ever do that. You're the only person for me. Forever," tears are cascading down my face.

"You don't need to tell me that. I wouldn't believe that for a second," I feel awful. What if the Capitol thinks I cheated on Ryder? No one will want to sponsor us now.

"Don't worry. I'll love you always no matter what. Just wait until you see what I do to him," I get a little scared. I don't want Ryder to get angry tonight. The Games begin tomorrow, but if he lays his hands on Archer now the gamemakers will will make him pay.

 _Will he be able to hold in his anger until tomorrow?_

 **Hi everybody! I'm really happy with the way this chapter turned out. There will be one more chapter, and then we move on to the bloodbath, woohoo!**

 **Yours Truly,**

 **CuriousClove :)**


	12. The Night Before the Games

Chapter 12: When the Days Become Numbered

I didn't know if I was going to live through tomorrow or not - and that's a scary thought.

Tomorrow was the day that the 18th Hunger Games would begin, and I was going to be a tribute in it. Every year, there's always a group of tributes that die within the first five minutes of the games. It's so sad, it's almost like they didn't even stand a chance. I hope that doesn't happen to Ryder or I, but it very well could. Our plan is for me to grab the food and water if there is any, and for Ryder to get some sort of weapon. Normally it's the Careers who make the kills, and it's not our plan to make kills this early in the games.

The only thing that makes me feel like I can get through this is my score. I score the same thing as both Castia and Columbia, and they're in the Career Pack. I scored twice as much as Victor, and he's a Career as well, even if he doesn't put in much effort. I'm shocked I was able to score the same thing as Ryder, I guess the gamemakers see something in me that I'm not aware of. My Eight makes me feel like I have a chance at getting Ryder out of here. He's deserves it more than the other twenty three of us combined. I would never be able to forgive myself if Ryder died. He has to make it back home to District Ten. He's the only one that should get to be the Victor.

The only thing that concerns me about Ryder's and my high scores are that we may be viewed as a threat. Outside of their alliance, the two of us are tied for the second highest score, with only Eretria scoring higher than us. It scares me to death, almost literally, that the girl got an Eleven. She'll most likely be at the top of the Career's kill list, but I hope we're not anywhere near there. I'm just a tiny fourteen year old, I hope they look more at my exterior and less at my skill set. I still am unsure if I will actually be able to kill someone. I know I would try my best if someone is putting Ryder's life in danger, but ending someone life? I don't want to do that.

In preparation for tomorrow, Dawn and Colt ordered us to eat as much as we could. If we eat this much in the morning, right before we run to the cornucopia, one of us might vomit, so we're eating everything tonight. I keep having to remind Ryder to take it slow while eating, as he is still not used to having this much food that he can just take without having to work so hard. I'm feeling so full, almost as if I could burst, but I'd rather be overfull now than starving during the coming days - if I even live that long. I pass Ryder my glass of water since he already drank his. He smiles at me, the smile that makes me love him so much.

That's exactly why I refuse to let him die for me, or die at all. I would go through the most painful death possible if it meant that Ryder could live. He could change this world we live in if he was able to make it out of the arena. I know for a fact Ryder could stop the Hunger Games, he's just that powerful. It's horribly wrong that each year twenty-three children are forced to die because of the Capitol. He's the kind of person that isn't afraid to stand up for what he believes in, and maybe he'd be able to end this awful tradition. I'm not brave enough to change the world. Ryder is, so he deserves to win so he can do so.

Out of nowhere, Ryder walks up from the table and sprawls himself out on the couch. I go over to him and sit by his head, ruffling his hair with my fingers.

"Are you okay? Tomorrow is going to be crazy, but I know we'll get through it. And plus I'd jump in front of any sword if it meant saving you," something in his blue eyes changes, and I feel a little uneasy.

"No," is all he says to me. This makes me afraid.

"What do you mean 'no'?" My hands start to shake, is he breaking up with me? He sits up and looks me in the eyes.

"You're not dying for me," his face starts to get red, but not as in a cute blushing way. I think he may be angry with me.

"But you're the one that deserves to live. Ryder, you never think about yourself. My life has been so easy, and when you're the Victor you'll be able to experience that. You and your family would never have to worry about money again. You need this way more than I do," his hands curl up into fists and I realize I should've kept my mouth shut.

"I FUCKING VOLUNTEERED FOR YOU ADDY! I KNEW I WAS GOING TO DIE SO YOU COULD LIVE AND I WAS FINE WITH IT. IF YOU DIE I WOULD DIE INSIDE. JUST LET ME DIE!" Ryder goes back to the dinner table and smashes some of the plates, repeating _let me die_ as he throws each one.

"Ryder," I say, my hands trembling. He stops smashing plates, and comes back to the catch to hug me.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I'm such a mess of a person and you're the one who always has to deal with it," avoxes come into the room to clean the broken plates. I get up to help them, but they shake their heads, indicating that I am not aloud, so I sit back down with Ryder.

"But I love you anyways. I love every aspect of who you are, and I wouldn't want to be with anyone else," he kisses me right after I finish my sentence.

"I love you more than all of the other love there is in Panem combined," I giggle a bit at that comment.

 _Will part of this relationship be dead by tomorrow?_

 **Oh gosh, this chapter was so emotional for me to write. I can't believe the next chapter of this story is already the bloodbath!**

 **Yours Truly,**

 **CuriousClove :)**


	13. The Bloodbath

Chapter 13: When the Cannons Boom

As the countdown began, I could feel my heartbeat quickening.

Sixty seconds count down before the Hunger Games will start, before my inevitable death. It may not be in the next hour or day, but it's going to happen quite soon, since I'm not letting Ryder die. I've got to get through this bloodbath and stay alive so I can help Ryder get through these games. I'm ready and willing to die if it means he can live, but not just yet. I want to help him through this in every way. I don't want to die painfully, but at the same time, I know I'd step in front of a blade for Ryder in a heartbeat. Although at the moment I'm pretty much as far away from him as possible, me being second from the left next to Archer, the person who I would least want to be near. He is farthest right, I wish he was closer.

I look over to my right sizing up the other tributes. Directly to my right is Ajax, the male from Three, and after that, it's all a blur. I my plan is to go into the cornucopia once the gong sounds, but I know I've got to be careful. I stare into Ryder's eyes, despite the distance between us they are as blue as ever. He blows me a kiss and I can't help but smile. I will make an attempt to get as many supplies as possible, but it could go completely wrong if one of the Careers ends up near me. My hands are shaking as I ready myself to sprint into the cornucopia, but I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be.

The gong rings through the arena and the 18th Annual Hunger Games begin.

I immediately take off from my platform and begin to run as fast as I can to the cornucopia. I'm one of the first few people to arrive in the cornucopia which is filled with supplies I may need for the coming days. I start sifting through various crates to see which items will be useful during the duration of the games. Ryder's never been all that fast, but I know he will find me eventually. Bodies are already dropping, but I'm currently too afraid to turn around and check if my boyfriend is dead or alive. The first thing I grab is a medical kit, I stuff it into a brown bag knowing it is something that could save Ryder's life or my own.

I whip my head around and see two bodies already dead on the ground, both of which have too skinny of a build to be Ryder. I breath a sigh of relief. It looks as though the bodies are Weaven from Eight and Carlos from Twelve, but I can't be sure until tonight when the fallen comes on. Victor, one of the Careers, is searching through a crate right near me, which made me freak out internally although on the outside I remained calm. It seemed as though he has no intention of hurting me, so I kept searching for more supplies. My main goal is to find food and water, as we need that more than anything if we want to stay alive.

I continue to search for food as best as possible, even though I am still yet to find out where Ryder could be. I've found a good amount of dehydrated food, but only a small jug of water. Knowing Ryder, the water won't last us more than a couple of days. I couldn't help but smile as I found myself a medical kit. It made me feel like I had a chance at keeping Ryder alive, and that's all I needed. I turn around one more time, bracing myself to see more dead children on the ground, but there isn't too many. Besides the first two to die, I spot what looks to be Prunus from Seven, Castia, the Career from District Four, and young Perl from District Five. I'm shocked one Career is already gone, but it makes our odds a lot better.

I see a sword a couple of feet away from me and I go to grab it, but when I do, there are hands on it that are not my own. I look up to see a very tall girl, pulling on the sword, wanting it for herself. I soon realize it is Vivienne from District Three. She is a lot bigger than me and much stronger, and although I use all of my strength to pull the sword away from her, I am unsucessful. For a moment, I think my life is about to end, but I know I can't be a pessimist in this situation. I am going to fight until my last breath. I stare into her eyes, trying to figure out weather or not she is going to make an attempt to kill me.

"Please," is all I can muster out, begging her for mercy. My life is basically in her hands.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" I hear a voice that makes me feel safe in an instant. Vivienne's eyes widen with fear as Ryder tackles her to the ground. She slashes his chest with the sword, but I can tell that the cut is in a zone that won't be fatal. I'm incredibly greatful for that. I see his has a knife in his hands and I have no doubt in my mind that he will kill this innocent girl. He looks at me for a moment, his angry face is a deep red and the look in his eyes is not his own. He slashes Vivienne's neck, and her dead body lays helpless on the ground.

"She wasn't going to attack me!" I say to Ryder. He just ended a girl's life simply because she wanted a weapon.

"Are...you...okay?" Ryder asks me through ragged pants. I was afraid of the boy that was in front of me, but this is now the Ryder I know. He gets up as if he didn't just kill someone and everything is perfectly fine.

"Ryder," I'm still unable to take my eyes off of Vivienne who lays dead in front of me.

"We...need to...go," Ryder grabs my hand and starts to run. I carry all of our supplies in a brown backpack on my back. We flee the bloodbath and the terrors I just witnessed.

 _How many more tributes is Ryder going to kill?_

 **Wow, we've reached the bloodbath! I never thought I would make it this far. Now only eighteen tributes remain alive in the arena. Who will die next?**

 **Yours Truly,**

 **CuriousClove :)**


	14. Day One

Chapter 14: When the Going Gets Tough

I couldn't believe that the two of us were still alive.

We were so lucky to have gotten out of the bloodbath, however we didn't leave completely unscathed. Ryder got cut pretty badly in the chest, but all I had time to do was wrap up the wound, not to clean it. We've been walking for quite a while, since our goal is to stay as far from the Careers as possible. We can't stop now.

"We need to stop," I hear Ryder say. I guess I don't have a choice about moving forward. Ryder has to come first. I look at his face he's out of breath and looks exhausted. When I look down at his chest I nearly start to cry. The shirt he is wearing is dripping in blood.

"Are you okay? Ryder, you need to tell me when you're bleeding like this," I immediately try to help him, sitting him down and telling him to breathe.

"Sorry," he responds, looking a bit dizzy. I gently take off his shirt so I can clean the wound.

"It's okay. I can't have you being weak from blood loss," I hate seeing him like this, but I know I can help.

I begin to unwrap the bandage I had placed on him before we started moving, it is soaked in blood. I zip the bloody bandage in my backpack and take out a new one. That's the moment we hear a cannon boom. I feel my heartbeat quickening at the thought of someone's life already officially ending. Ryder stands up without hesitation, looking ready to make another kill, despite blood trickling down his stomach. We hear two more cannons, two more children dead.

"Three," I say, looking at the floor. I saw the dead bodies before, but it hadn't gotten to me like it does now. Three children will never get to see their families again. Another cannon sounds.

"Four," Ryder says. One more person ripped away from their home to die. Two more cannons boom, leaving eighteen people left in the Games.

"Sit," I say to Ryder, as I start to heal his wound. I'm lucky to have found the first aid kit, as it contains everything I need. After I clean the wound, I stitch him up, and he doesn't complain or wince.

"Thanks," he says, kissing me on the lips.

"It was nothing," I respond. The cut wasn't too big, it only required four stitches.

"Did you grab any water at the cornucopia?" Ryder asks me. It's been a few hours since the bloodbath and neither of us have had anything to drink since then.

"Yeah, I found two bottles. Want some?" I say. We really have to ration this, considering we don't know how long the games are going to last. He takes a few sips and puts it down, I feel bad because its clear his thirst hasn't been quenched.

I watch Ryder attempt to scrape the blood off his hands, but he doesn't make too much progress. I am still in shock that he actually killed someone. I'm sure Vivienne had family and friends to get back to, all of us had some motivation to get home. She most likely want to win as much as I want Ryder to. Ryder has ruined the hopes and dreams of all those that loved her that she will ever see them again. Watching the light die out of her eyes was downright traumatizing, and it was all because Ryder thought she was going to hurt me. I wish I was as good at protecting as he is, but I doubt I have the courage to end someone's life. It would torment me for the rest of my days.

"Ready to keep moving?" I ask him. The careers could still easily find us in this area, we've got to continue to move as far away from them as possible.

"No," he says, still sitting on the floor.

"What's wrong?" I say, immediately wanting to comfort him. He looks upset, so I sit down next to him.

"Am I a murderer now?" he asks me, suddenly looking like a young boy. Sure he killed someone, but it wasn't his choice, it was the Capitol's.

"No. They are," I whisper in his ear. He smiles at me, knowing that nobody in the Capitol heard us. Ryder suddenly stands up, grabbing my hand and pulling me up too. I pack up the medical kit, waters, and Ryder's shirt, and place them in my bag.

We walk for what feels like forever, the heat becoming nearly unbearable. It's not that warm out, but the amount of humidity the gamemakers have added makes it hard to breathe. Each District was given a different colored shirt, and we were given a heather grey. Our uniforms came with brown jackets, but those are in my backpack, we'll save them for when it gets cold at night. Hopefully it cools down.

"I need something. Please, I'm so hot I can't handle it," I feel badly for him, and give him some more water. I haven't had anything all day, but it's clear he needs it more than I do.

"Try not to drink too much, we don't know how long these games are going to last," he takes a few sips, and gives it to me. I only have one small gulp, but leave the bottle open, pouring couple of drops onto the inside of Ryder's wrist, hoping to cool him off.

"I needed that," he says, kissing me.

We hear another cannon sound, and my eyes automatically widen. Is the killer nearby? I guess I'll have to find out later during The Fallen. As long as I know Ryder is safe that is all I care about. After a moment, we continue to move.

"Once the sun sets, I think we should stop. I don't know what we're going to run into once it's dark," I tell Ryder, who breaks out into a grin.

"It looks like the sun's supposed to set in an hour, maybe then we can eat a little something and find a place to sleep," he says to me. I didn't want to complain, but my stomach has been rumbling all day. Ryder's more used to it than me, but I can tell he's hungry as well.

 _Was what I ate last night the last meal I'll ever have?_

 **Hi all! Sorry for the minor inactivity in this story! I am still here and loving to write!**

 **Yours Truly,**

 **CuriousClove :)**


	15. Night One

Chapter 15: When I Settled In

I wasn't expecting the games to change already within such little time.

It was so warm for the first part of my day, so humid that I could barely breathe. Now it's cold outside. It's not too bad, but that's because I have an ally to share body heat and cuddle with. I feel bad for the people out there alone tonight - being cold and afraid is not fun. It was a gradual temperature drop, so small I barely noticed until all of a sudden I was shivering instead of sweating. It's as if the gamemakers have control of every little detail of this arena. After all, I wouldn't be surprised if they did. The Capitol seems to have control of everything these days.

We made camp in a grassy area surrounded by plants. In an effort to hide ourselves as best as possible from other tributes, we covered ourselves in grass so others would not see us at a simple glance. It's not much, but it's a solution for now. We definitely need to think of something else for tomorrow, because Ryder is worried he will get overheated tomorrow if he has to lay under the layers of grass. At the moment, my grass idea works as a makeshift blanket, but if it's as hot and humid tomorrow as it was today, I'll have to think of something else. For once I'm happy that Ryder and I are both small for our age, it makes it easier to cover ourselves with the grass.

"You hungry?" Ryder says to me, holding a knife in his right hand that he won't let go of.

"A little bit," I respond, lying. I haven't eaten anything all day, of course I'm hungry! Ryder's much more used to this than I am, it's not uncommon for him to go a day or days without eating.

"Take a few," He says, handing me a bag of carrots I found during the bloodbath. Carrots have always been my favorite.

"Thanks," I say, inching myself closer to him.

"Anything for you," Ryder responds, kissing me on the cheek. I eat two carrots, saving the rest for another time. I pass the bag over to him.

"Do you want any?" I ask him. He shakes his head no.

"We need to ration these. I can handle the hunger," I feel bad that this had to happen. Ryder should be eating.

"If you insist," I say, not wanting to argue with the most stubborn person I know. The sun begins to set and within minutes it is already dark out. It's crazy how the first day of the Hunger Games are already over. Children are dead and families are broken. We are now experiencing the first night in the arena, and I'm scared. I've never been a fan of the dark. I always seem to get a creepy feeling when I can't see what's going on around me, ever since I was a little girl. But tonight I feel safe, because I'm lucky enough to have Ryder by my side. I wish it could stay that way forever, but it's a hopeless dream.

Out of nowhere, we hear the Anthem of Panem blaring into our ears at a deafening volume. We see the Seal of Panem floating in the air and conclude that The Fallen is coming on, letting us know who died today.

We were unprepared, but Vivienne, the girl that Ryder killed, is first to appear. This is not a good sign, as it means all the Careers from One and Two survived. Ryder looks at the photo of the dead girl as if nothing ever happened and I don't know how.

Next is a photo of Castia from Four. At least one of the Careers is knocked out.

Perl from Five is the next person on the screen. The poor girl was only twelve.

Prunus from Seven comes on next. That one surprises me a bit but it's someone else gone.

Weaven from Eight is the next person shown. She was so small and frail, she didn't deserve to die.

Stitch follows Weaven, someone else I wasn't expecting to go so early. I remember hearing about his family, his sisters. Those little girls must be so upset. District Eight is already gone.

The last person shown on the screen is Carlos, another person too young. We're all too young to be ripped away from our homes and families for a fight to the death. Even the brainwashed Careers don't deserve this awful fate.

"Seventeen left," Ryder says, reflecting on The Fallen.

"But sixteen of them have to die," I respond, almost about to say _it isn't fair_ but I stop myself. Rebelliousness is not rewarded in the Hunger Games.

"It's okay. They're not all going to die right now. It's not going to happen tomorrow either. We still have time and I'll be here to support you," He's too loving, I just don't deserve him.

"I'll support you too. Don't forget that," I say, not wanting him to disregard that I am here to protect him as well.

"I know. But I think we should get some rest now," He says, and I agree. It's been a long day.

Ryder and I lie down close together under our grass blanket, but all of a sudden I sit straight up.

"We can't just sleep! We need to have someone on watch, someone guarding the other. Otherwise we could get killed," he looks tired, so I guess it's up to me.

"Okay. How long do you want me to stay up for?" I roll my eyes at his answer.

"No time. I'm taking the first watch. You lost a lot of blood and you need rest," I say, placing my hand on his shoulder so he can't get up.

"Thanks. I'm really tired, I wouldn't want to fall asleep and be knocked out in the case of someone coming," He says.

 _How am I supposed to defend myself if somebody_ comes?

 **Hi all! Sorry for the update break once again, but I'm on a roll now! Two updates in two days, that's how I like it!**

 **Yours Truly,**

 **CuriousClove :)**


	16. Day Two

Chapter 16: When We Found Our Way

I wake up to beautiful blue eyes staring into my own.

I nearly forgot where I was, I almost didn't remember that my life was on the line and so was his. He brushes my hair out my face, it's a complete mess but he doesn't look like he cares. I run my fingers through my long brown hair, making an attempt to get the knots out. Even if looks don't matter in the Hunger Games, I still prefer to look okay over bad in front of the entire nation. I rub the tiredness out of my eyes, but Ryder's are still locked on my own.

"Good morning beautiful," He says, hugging me tightly. He feels overly warm, I need to think of some way to cool him down.

"Good morning. Did you have any water last night? I think you need some," I say to him. He nods, saying that he had a little bit, but I look inside our backpack, and he surely had more than what he said. I can't really blame Ryder, he needs the water a lot more than I do. I don't think he's stopped sweating since we stepped off of our pedestals. The heat in the arena isn't the only problem he's been facing. The humidity makes breathing so much harder, I could literally hear him panting as we made our way away from the cornucopia all day yesterday. The sun looks like it has just barely risen and his face is already beet red, his blonde bangs clinging to his forehead.

I notice that Ryder has already taken off his grass blankets, so I'm not sure what else I can really do for him.

"How bad is it?" I ask, referring to how hot he is. He doesn't look well, and I'm a bit concerned.

"Can you come here? And stay there? The sun is relentless and I feel like I'm going to pass out," I wish I was able to do more for him. It's not his fault that he can't handle the heat.

"Of course. But I'm pretty hot myself so I don't know how much it will help," I wipe the sweat off the side of Ryder's face.

"Anything will help me. Please," Ryder responds, beckoning for me to be his personal ice pack. The only problem is that I'm already melting.

"This feels better," He says, as he clings to me. I don't know how much this is going to help, I think we need to do something more. I grab my water bottle, and let a few drops fall onto Ryder's left wrist. I can see him sigh with relief, I'm quite happy that this did the trick. He smiles at me and kisses my forehead, already looking more at ease. Cooling down a pressure point has always helped workers on the farm, so I'm glad it worked for him.

"Can we walk around a bit? I want to explore the area a bit more, maybe there's something useful we can find," I say to Ryder.

"Good idea," He responds, as I stand up. He reaches for me, indicating he wants me to pull him up. It's hard work, but I am able to.

We begin to walk through an area with many different trees and plants, looking for some extra food. We're trying to ration our supplies as much as possible, but I know we're both starving.

"How's your chest?" I ask Ryder, unable to forget about his injuries.

"Better. Sore though. She really did a number on me," He says. I give him a sympathetic look.

"Do you feel bad? About killing her?" I feel bad that he killed Vivienne, but I know that his intentions were good.

"Why would I? She was going to hurt you," Ryder responds. I truly don't think she would've.

"No she wasn't," I tell him. He is too stubborn to listen.

"Why would you say that?" He asks.

"She paused. She wasn't going to attack me, she just wanted to flee but I scared her," I say, recalling the way I watched the light die out of Vivienne's eyes.

"We don't know that," He says, looking as intimidating and scary as he was in the very moment he took her life.

"I do," I say, not knowing how he'll respond. He is quiet for a few minutes, I can tell he is angry but trying to hold it in. I didn't mean to upset him, but I just felt like it had to be said.

"I'm sorry," Ryder says through gritted teeth.

"I just hate what we have to do to get home. What you have to do and I am just-" I can't go on talking any longer without breaking into tears. Ryder hugs me tightly and tries to consol me.

He kisses me, and he then repeatdly tells me that it will all be okay in the end. We begin to walk back to the area where we spent last night. I take a few sips of water and encourage Ryder to do the same. He starts to gulp the water, but unfortunately I have to stop him.

"Sorry," I say to him, feeling guilty that he can't drink anymore. I want to make sure we ration our water, but Ryder dehydrates so easily.

"You don't need to be sorry," He responds, but I can tell that he's longing for more. He wipes the sweat off of his face with his shirt and puts the water bottle away.

The sound of a cannon firing startles both of us.

It may sound strange, but I hope that one of the bigger threats out there has died. Now, there are fourteen other players besides Ryder and I in this horrible game, and I would want the rest of them to be as easy to beat as possible. I would think that it would be someone not as strong that was found by the careers, but it really could be anything. My best guess for the death would be either Callie from Twelve, Reilly from Five, or Shaun from Nine, but I would feel badly seeing any of them go. If it was someone stronger such as Eretria from Seven, Jacqueline from Two, or Wheta from Nine, that would be far more beneficial. But we'll have to wait until tonight to find out.

 _Will this help our chances?_

 **Hello! I'm so happy that I getting this story underway and that we've entered the games.**

 **Yours Truly,**

 **CuriousClove :)**


	17. Night Two

Chapter 17: How the Stars Alligned

The beauty of the sunset could've almost distracted me from all of the death that's going on around me.

The sky is a pretty combination of pinks and oranges, more beautiful than any sunset I've ever seen back in Ten. Ryder and I are sitting in our hideout, knowing that The Fallen will soon be broadcasted. We will then know who it was that died earlier today. Ryder was able to catch and kill a rabbit about an hour ago, so we were able to have a feast for dinner. It felt so good to have somewhat close to a full stomach. Though I wish it could occur for every meal in the games, hunting is not that simple. It took a lot of hard work, but it was totally worth it.

Once the sun went down, the temperature did as well. It was finally at a comfortable temperature, cooler than the night before. The day was so humid, so it's nice to have a break from it. Maybe the gamemakers realized how hard it was to breathe in the arena. Ryder's been having trouble breathing all day, and I can tell how relieved he is that the temperature dropped. We had a small fire going in order to properly cook the rabbit, and Ryder was coughing the whole time. He looks so much more relaxed now, but he also looks exhausted. I play with his hair for a bit but all he can muster out is a sad smile. Today was rough for the both of us, but at least it's nearly over.

Out of nowhere, I hear the unecessarily loud Capitol Athem, and conclude that the Fallen is on. Only one face is shown in the sky tonight, and it is Reilly, the tribute from District Five. I don't know where to Reilly wanted their identity to be male or female, and I feel guilty because now I will never know. He is dead, just another piece in the Capitol's endless puzzle of tributes. District Five now has no chance of getting the riches that come with having a Victor for the year to come. I feel awful as I see his face fade away after what I know will be the last time. It will be the last time anyone in Panem sees him alive. The thought of the tribute's body in a coffin makes me sick.

It freaks me out that one in three of the tributes sent into this arena are dead. One in three people standing on the pedestals at the countdown, hoping that they will be able to return to their family and friends, are forever gone. Two districts' hopes of having a Victor are gone. I want Ryder to get back to Ten more than anything, but everyone wants someone to get back home just the same. Ryder can tell that I am distressed by the dwindling numbers and pulls me in for a hug. At least the two of us aren't part of the statistics of the dead. It breaks my heart that eventually one of us will join the group, and maybe even both of us. I am going to do everything I can to make sure he is safe.

It freaks me out that you never know who's heart is going to stop beating next. There are sixteen tributes left, fifteen of which are going to be dead in the next few days. Ryder and I won't be able to make it out alive together. It's going to be one or the other, or even both of us could die. We could be the next people on the Careers' hit-list, considering we are somewhat of a powerful duo. Taking on six people as a pair wouldn't be easy, but hopefully we're young enough to fly under their radar. I feel like everybody in Panem doesn't realize that Ryder and I are only fourteen. Despite the high training scores and the serious relationship between one another, we are still children.

"Only sixteen of us," I say to Ryder, looking at the grass that surrounds us. Ryder is trying to mask the fear he has, just like he always does when he's afraid.

"We're going to be okay. I promise," He says sweetly. How can he promise that when at least one of us is going to die?

"How can you say that?" I ask him, genuinely confused as to how he came to that conclusion. He smiles a sweet smile, making him look younger than he is.

"Because I'm going to protect you and you're going to be fine," He says, holding me close.

"What about you? I'm not the only person here who's life is on the line you know," I say.

"We don't need to worry about that right now," My heart sinks into my stomach. He doesn't deserve this awful fate he's given himself. He deserves so much better than this.

"Look up," I say to Ryder, trying to change the subject. The sky is lit up with so many stars, it's the most beautiful thing I've seen in the arena thus far.

"Wow," Ryder says, grabbing my hand without taking his eyes off the sky. He looks almost entranced by the stars above us.

"It reminds me of our first kiss," I say with a laugh. It's hard to believe that was over a year ago. We've grown up so much since then.

"That was the best day of my life," Ryder says, going in for a kiss immediately after. It is long and passionate, not like the little peck we shared back then.

"Is that a shooting star?" I ask, unsure the gamemakers could create that.

"Probably not, but you can make a wish on it if you want. But don't tell me," Ryder says, his hand still in mine.

I wish for Ryder to win the 18th Annual Hunger Games.

 _What is going to have to happen for that wish to come true?_

 **Hi everyone! It looks like Day Two of the games has come to a close. I can't wait to see what the next day brings!**

 **Yours Truly,**

 **CuriousClove :)**


	18. Day Three

Chapter 18: Where the Water Lies

My heart drops when I see that we barely have any water left.

Ryder is still asleep at the moment, but I'm assuming he drank almost everything last night while he was keeping watch. I've continued to remind him that we need to ration our water, but I don't believe he's been listening very much. The only positive thing that's come from this arena is that it's been so humid that Ryder hasn't even bothered to keep his shirt on, which I can't say that I mind. I feel really badly for him, and I've just got to find a way to help. Water is the most crucial thing for our survival in here. I don't even want to think about what would happen if we ran out.

After what feels like forever, Ryder finally awakes from his slumber. He looks so young and peaceful in his sleep, not afraid for our lives at all. He rubs his eyes and then sees the nearly empty water bottle.

"Oops," He says, looking at the grass piled on top of us. I can tell he feels guilty about it, but it seems like he needed it more than I would've.

"It's not a big deal. Don't worry," I say, hoping he won't realize that I'm a little upset.

"No. This is all my fault and I need to make it up to you. You pick where we go, but all I'm going to do today is find you water," He says, making me feel a lot better.

I put our last bit of water back into our bag, along with the jackets from last night that Ryder and I used as pillows. I neatly fold up his shirt and put it in the bag. It still breaks my heart to look at the four stitches I made in his stomach. I grab his hand to help him up, deserting the places we have stayed for the last few days.

"So where were you thinking we should go?" I ask Ryder as he dusts the dirt off of his pants.

"This may be a little risky so I want your approval," He responds, looking uneasy. I think I know where he wants to head.

"The Cornucopia?" I ask, wincing.

"Yes. Except I have no idea how to get there. I wasn't in the best shape when we left," He says, an anger in his eyes remembering the bloodbath.

"Do you know where we are going?" Ryder asks me about twenty minutes into our journey. To be honest, I'm not positive that we're going in the right direction, but I remember we went uphill, so now we are going downhill. Hopefully we are going in the direction of water.

"Of course," I lie, wanting to make him feel secure instead of worried.

A cannon sounds and my body can't help but jolt. I immediately look straight behind me to make sure Ryder is okay and I feel relieved to see him intact. I have no idea who the cannon belonged to, but at least it wasn't either of us. There's only fifteen tributes left, and I begin to grow more and more worried each time a tribute dies. The world is going to split Ryder and I apart and the separation is getting closer by the day.

"Who do-" Ryder is suddenly interrupted.

"Great. We missed another one!" A female voice yells out of nowhere. With a threat nearby, Ryder goes in front of me right away, holding up his knife, ready to kill whoever is near us. The forest in front of us is too dense to see which tribute it is, but I conclude she is not alone. She did say 'we' after all.

"Stop your napping! We need to keep watch!" The voice screams. There are only seven other possible female voices it could be, three of which are careers. Could it be possible we reached their camp? I feel defeated, normally the careers leave their camp during the day. It's not worth the risk to fight off trained killers just for a bit of water. At the same time, we can't just waste away in this arena, and we desperately need more water.

"Nothing is happening," A male voice, once again not either of ours, responds. However, this is a voice that I remember. Victor, the Career from One, seems to be quiet and careless type of person. Whichever girl he is with at the moment, whether it be Lavish, Jacqueline, or Wheta, seems far more serious about the life or death situation we are all in.

"That's the male from One," I tell Ryder, almost forgetting that I need to fill him in on my thoughts. He nods, and we move past a few trees to find the cornucopia. I see Wheta, the girl from Nine, pacing around the cornucopia with her axe, her platinum blonde hair distinguishing her from the other two girls. Victor's large foot is sticking out of the cornucopia.

"We should go," Ryder whispers, a look of defeat on his face. He turns back to leave, knowing how unsafe it is to fight these two Careers.

"Wait! We might need to stay. We need water. We only got a day worth maybe, then we will start getting dehydrated," I grab his hand before he can walk away any further. Sweat drips down the left side of his face, and I worry about how fast his body loses water.

"They'd have water there," Ryder says, squatting down and beckoning for me to do so as well.

I'm mad at myself for opening my mouth in the first place. I shouldn't have given him this idea. Now he is going to risk his life just for a small amount of water and I know that he is too stubborn to listen to me. The two of us could probably take down one Career, but the two of them would kill us in seconds. Neither of us could win when pitted up against one of them, it's simply impossible.

 _Why is he going to take this risk?_

 **Hello everyone! I can't believe I've made it this far in the story! I love these two!**

 **Yours Truly,**

 **CuriousClove :)**


	19. Night Three

Chapter 19: Who Raises the Knife

Panem's anthem when the Fallen comes on is almost deafening.

Tonight's list is short once again, only showing a photo of Soya, the girl from District Eleven. She must've been the cannon we heard earlier today. However, we are still clueless as to who killed her. It's possible that it was the Careers, as the majority of them are still yet to return to the Cornucopia, where we are patiently waiting to attack. Well, hopefully there won't be any actual conflict, but I doubt they'd just let us leave freely with their water. I have the horrible feeling in my stomach that something bad is going to happen, and I can only hope that it isn't to Ryder and I. All I want is for us to be safe.

Shortly after the fallen comes on, I notice Ryder take out his knife. My eyes widen with fear as I know just what he is going to do. We could die in the next few minutes, this could be it! I nearly start crying as I come to this realization, but I know I have to stay composed. This is a do or die situation. I stand up the moment I see Ryder do so.

"Stay here," He tells me. I could never do that. He's going to be in danger, risking his life! I could never just sit and watch him die.

"What? I'm coming with you," I respond. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't at least try to protect him. He's my boyfriend - I need to be there for him.

"No you aren't," Ryder responds, clearly angry with me. I grab my spear from the floor, smiling at him. He knows very well that I could never stay here and watch.

"Addy. You are staying here," He says, louder than he should've. I'm sure Victor and Wheta heard him.

Knowing that they most likely know we are here already, I know we have to strike now. I walk into playing sight, unsure if the Careers saw me or not. Ryder and I crawl through the open field to the Cornucopia, but Wheta makes eye contact with us before we get there. We are still about fifty feet from the cornucopia, only at the Pedestals.

"Hurry!" I tell Ryder, knowing now is the time.

I begin to sprint to the supplies as Wheta wakes up Victor, hoping Ryder is a few feet behind me. But soon enough, I hear Wheta's soft and controlled breathing behind me instead of his usually loud and ragged breaths. Suddenly, she grabs my left arm and punches me in the nose before I can react. I fall to the floor with an unexpected scream. Her axe is raised and I prepare myself for death. I knew this was a bad idea.

"No!" Ryder screams as he sees me on the floor. Before I even know what's going on, Wheta is swinging an axe at me, but Ryder jumps in front of me and the axe pierces him in the stomach. I'm trying as hard as I can to get up, to save him, when he tackles Wheta to the ground.

"Leave her alone!" He screams again, louder than before. I'm back on my feet, trying to pinch my nose to stop the bleeding. Ryder stabs her, but she blocks her neck with her palm. The knife has gone through her left hand, and she is screaming. For the first time since the beginning of the games, she looks afraid. She sees me standing, her axe still in her right hand. She swings it at Ryder, and without thinking I jump in front of the blade. It grazes the top of my shoulder and I scream in pain.

This is when Ryder's face goes red with anger. He removes the knife from the palm of her hand and she punches him. We are both going to die and my heart is broken. But then, he stabs her again and again, not stopping even minutes after we hear the cannon sound.

Ryder killed another person, and he still is yet to stop stabbing her. Blood is all over his face, a mix of both his and hers. I don't really know how to handle this situation, but I need to find water. Staying low, I head closer to the cornucopia. I notice that there are now two tributes fighting, someone else must've arrived at the same time we did. I'm pretty sure it is Archer, and it looks like he is in a losing battle with Victor. At least he was trying to kill him instead of us. I watch silently as the spear goes through Archer's side, no doubt in my mind that he is dead. Victor goes back to leaning against the cornucopia and once again closes his eyes for a nap.

Is it really going to be this simple now? I run inside the cornucopia, seeing all of the Careers' bottles and jugs in a messy pile. I stuff as much of it as I can into my backpack, almost too heavy for me to carry. I'm going to need to put up with the pain if I want to survive.

Archer's cannon sounds, signaling his pain has ended.

Speaking of pain, I finally got my nose to stop bleeding while Archer was dying in front of me. Ryder is still stabbing Wheta, although she has been dead for minutes now. I run over to him, feeling dizzy and exhausted despite the short distance. I guess I lost more blood than I thought.

I put a hand on Ryder's shoulder and he turns around to look at me. It may be dark, but I can see the angry look in his eyes.

"Ryder! We have to go!" He gets up weakly, the adrenaline of his anger wearing off. Hopefully. He is panting loudly, and grunting with every step. I take his arm around mine and help him move forward. His arm is warm, and he looks at me with a fear in his eyes I'm not sure I've ever seen. He's putting a lot of weight on me, he must really be in pain.

"I can...try to carry...you if it's too...hard to walk," I say after a ways, barely able to get the words out. I can't keep up the weight of Ryder and the water. But I sure as hell am gonna try.

"It's fine...we...should just...stay here...tonight," He responds. We haven't gone far, but it's far enough from the Careers. They'll be distracted enough by Wheta's death. Almost immediately I drop the bag and gently help Ryder sit down. Both of us are gasping for air, but I think we're going to be okay.

 _What if I'm wrong?_

 **Hi guys! Here's another chapter! Poor little lovebirds, I hope they get through this.**

 **Yours Truly,**

 **CuriousClove :)**


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